Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
The economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have hit recruiters and Human Resources departments hard. Companies still hiring, or those seeking to hire when the economy reopens, should look to employee referral programs to save on the time and cost of recruiting employees. And this seems to be one of the most popular methods already […]
The OIG announced a focused effort to investigate nursing home responses to COVID-19. One facet of the investigation will focus on auditing infection control efforts at nursing homes, while another will focus on CMS oversight efforts during the pandemic. “To reduce the likelihood of contracting and spreading COVID-19 at these nursing homes, effective internal controls […]
Whether your home health agency is already working toward recovery from a peak load of COVID-19 patients or is still amidst the onslaught, remember there will be a second wave of patients in a few months. Take your lessons learned and update policies, protocols and action plans in anticipation of patient numbers that may be […]
CMS’ Quality, Safety and Oversight (QSO) group released a memo directed to nursing homes that is helpful for home health and hospice providers. The memo provides guidance on reporting COVID-19 to residents, representatives and families of residents, as well as reporting the data directly to the CDC. CMS will also begin posting data from the […]
To date, CMS has released guidance to aid SNFs during the COVID-19 pandemic, including everything from PPE usage to infection control. The following is summary of actions taken thus far, as outlined by CMS, including links to each action: February 6, 2020 CMS took action to prepare the nation’s healthcare facilities for the COVID-19 threat. […]
The deadline for when health care providers must attest to receipt of payments, from the Provider Relief Fund, has been extended. Now providers have 45 days instead of 30 days, from the date they receive a payment, to attest and accept the terms and conditions, or return the funds, according to a May 7 U.S. […]
CMS has updated its COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers document. Therapists who can perform the initial and comprehensive assessment for home health patients now include physical therapists (PTs) and speech language pathologists (SLPs), in addition to occupational therapists. This applies during the public health emergency. For more information, visit: https://go.cms.gov/35TLIIL.
The impact of the pandemic on every sector has been massive, especially for healthcare professionals. The workforce has dealt with major impacts spanning staff assignments being shifted to areas of greater need to work from home mandates. In other instances individuals are reconciling job furloughs, layoffs, and even closures, with vulnerability replacing job security. However, […]
On May 13, CMS released a new toolkit developed to aid nursing homes, Governors, states, departments of health, and other agencies who provide oversight and assistance to these facilities, with additional resources to aid in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic within nursing homes. The 74-page document includes guidance on: State Actions […]
Last week we began discussing the Trump Administration’s immigration freeze and what that means for employers with Jacob M. Monty, managing partner and founder of Monty & Ramirez LLP. We discussed furloughs and layoffs affecting the status of foreign national workers, details about the freeze itself, and more. This week we finish that talk and […]